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LernaeaA Caretaker God active in the Light Speed Frontier region  One of the life-bearing planets discovered (or perhaps manufactured) by the Caretaker God Lernaea is seen here in this long distance image taken from outside the exclusion zone; the objects in the background are distant galaxies |
An example of a particularly visible
piece of the Light
Speed Frontier has been established by the caretaker
god Lernaea, active along the neighboring Ludman Heinwen,
Lozen and 324 Magdalnn Frontiers. The first world claimed by Lernaea
was situated in the Argolid system, and was first discovered by
pioneers in 8493 a.t.. A message was transmitted to the pioneers,
claiming the single life bearing planet of the system. Lernaea didn't
respond to any communication, and indeed haven't done so at any time in
the following 1500 years. But e has not intervened in any way with
other inhabitants of the system, as long as they keep away from eir
planet.
As the pioneers expanded outward, they found every life bearing world
already claimed. Judging by the identical behavior of the guardians,
including the brief warning message to the first travelers to arrive,
as well as the likeness of their ship bodies, most believe all these
caretaker gods to be copies of Lernaea.
In 8622 a.t. scouts from the Solar
Dominion encountered another system claimed by Lernaea, which
has since been named Bastong. However, no life bearing world existed in
this system. Observation of Lernaea's installations has since provided
evidence, that e produces new ship bodies here, and it is believed that
this might be the first base from which e sent eir copies to claim the
local worlds.
In 8934 a.t., 9281 a.t., and 9311 a.t. three more such bases were
found, while activity at Bastong slowed as the world fell farther and
farther behind the frontier. In 9576 a.t. Lernaea ordered all
inhabitants to leave the Bastong system, giving a one year deadline. In
9622 a.t. the local solarian transapient adviser Zeuson, revealed that
the Solar Dominion had been keeping an eye on Lernaea, when it revealed
to a scientific petitioner that Lernaea had started constructing
microgauge wormholes at Bastong.
Since then four more forge worlds for ship bodies has been discovered,
and the total amount of worlds claimed by Lernaea has reached 34. It is
believed that by now the microgauge wormholes from Bastong gives em
instant communication between eir bodies. Though the Solarian empire
has begun to envelope the Lernaean worlds, and has settlements in
several of the claimed systems, there has yet to be any public dispute
between the two powers.
The frequency of naturally lifebearing worlds is much larger in
Lernaea's volume than in any other volume of the fringe except for the
Corinthean Cloud and the Heidelghost Veil. In addition there seem to be
no less than three xenosophont races, though none of them has reached a
technological level in which they can communicate beyond their own
planet. Researchers has theorised that the large amount of lifebearing
worlds may be the reason for Lernaea's presence and rapid expansion. An
expansion of this theory is that Lernaea might actually be a member of
the Solar Dominion, safe guarding the worlds on behalf of Zeuson or
someone higher up the hierarchy. A more popular theory amongst the
local pioneers is that Lernaea is seeding the worlds and that the life
is of neogen origin rather than having evolved locally. This is a
theory that is unlikely to be tested as no researchers will get close
enough to retrieve genetic material from any of the species, as long as
Lernaea is guarding the planets.
